Hold Your Breath

Chapter 11

Hold Your Breath

Chapter 11

I stood outside the school, sitting on a bench with my phone in hand. I was about to check Twitter when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Nathan standing behind me. I stood up and walked over to him, giving him a hug.

"Hey, do you need a ride?" Nathan asked after we let go.

I shook my head.

"No I'm waiting for my friend Isabelle. We're going to a little bookstore I know in town," I explained.

"That's cool, just don't make any plans for Friday night," Nathan replied.

"Why is that?" I questioned. What could we be doing Friday, I thought.

"It's a surprise," Nathan said, moving his hands.

"Alright. Oh there's Isabelle!" I said as Isabelle emerged from the school.

I gave Nathan a quick kiss on the cheek, and we told each other goodbye before I jogged over to Isabelle.

"Hey! You ready to go?" I asked.

Isabelle nodded and we set off for the bookstore.

***

We arrived at the bookstore a short walk later. Isabelle and I looked up at the sign for the store. Through the Looking Glass, it read. I opened the door and walked in, Isabelle trailing behind me. The bookstore was attached to an antique store; two of my favorite things jam-packed together.

There were books everywhere: on shelves, tables, and display cases for the newest books. The floor was covered with old oriental rugs, giving the store a nice, cozy feeling. The owners had a reading area set up in the back, with white Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling and red, comfy couches. There was also a small stand with hot coffee brewed, styrofoam cups, and sugar and creamer.

"So what do you think?" I asked Isabelle as I started making myself a cup of coffee.

"It's amazing," she gaped, her mouth hanging open slightly.

I sat down on one of the couches, setting my bag on the floor next to me, and tucked my feet under me. Isabelle followed, sitting next to me.

"I love it here. I found it a few summers ago, and now I come here almost every week," I said. "So. What's your favorite book?"

Isabelle looked around the room a bit, then stood. She walked over to a shelf and plucked a book out. She came back over to me, and set the book in my hands. There was a girl in a purple dress on the front, with clouds surrounding her. I read the title.

"The Catastrophic History of You and Me. It sounds pretty good," I said, reading the summary of the book.

"Yeah, it's not the most popular book ever, but it's written very well. I love it," Isabelle said, returning to her seat next to me. "What's yours?"

I smiled, and opened my bag, pulling a book from it. I handed it to her, and let her read the title.

"The Fault In Our Stars? I think I've heard about this book."

"You probably have," I agreed. "It's really popular right now. It's a really wonderful book, and it's very quotable."

Isabelle nodded, and handed the book back to me. I put it back in my bag, and took a sip of my coffee.

"Do you like living here so far?" I asked her as she got up to fix here own cup of coffee.

"Yeah, it's okay. I miss my old friends, like my friend Audrey and Rochelle, but it's nice to make new ones," she said smiling over at me.

I smiled back at her, and looked at the book in my lap. Isabelle sat back down after fixing her coffee, and she told me about her old town in Tennessee. She said she liked it there, but everyone was very judgmental, and she was glad it wasn't like that here. After, I filled her in on Northsage.

"There are great waves, and the beaches are clean. They also don't get very crowded since we have such a small town," I said as we finished our coffee.

She nodded, soaking in the information and we stood. We browsed the bookshelves for a while, but I already knew what book I was going to get. We grabbed our bags from the back, and walked to the front of the store where the cash register was. I handed the lady my book, which was the one Isabelle had recommended.

"Hello, Anna. How are you? I heard about Friday night," said the cashier, Patty.

"Oh, uh, I'm fine," I answered, blushing.

Apparently everyone in town knows about Friday night. We may not be judgmental, but we sure do gossip, I thought. I handed Patty the money to pay for the book, and waited for Isabelle to buy the books she chose. She paid, and we walked out of the store together, our new books in hand.

"Are you okay to get home?" I asked her.

Isabelle nodded, and I told her I'd see her tomorrow. We parted ways, and I started walking to my house. Being in a small town is beneficial when you don't have your own car. After about 15 minutes of walking, I reached my house. I walked up my driveway and to my door before I realized the door was cracked open.